During the month of November, Megan Taylor Meier would have been turning 23! That’s right 23 years old! Help us celebrate Megan’s birthday by giving your gift of $23 throughout November to help us achieve our goal of $23,000!

Why are we doing this?

Because over 160,000 students stay home everyday from school for the fear of being bullied. Because no one deserves to fall victim to bullies and live in constant fear that they will be tormented. Because no one deserves to feel worthless, left out, unimportant, and empty by the doing of an aggressor. The bullying and cyberbullying has gone on for too long and it’s time that we put an end to it for good!

Making your donation of $23 throughout the month of November will help the Megan Meier Foundation continue our mission to put and end to bullying and cyberbullying in our world, celebrate Megan’s 23rd birthday, and honor all lives lost to suicide.

Did you know that your donation of just $4.70 helps the Megan Meier Foundation impact ONE child who struggles with bullying and cyberbullying?

That means your donation of $23 will impact over FOUR children through the Megan Meier Foundation!

Head on over to meganmeierfoundation.org to make your donation of $23 or YOUR age in dollar amount and help us blow out the candles on bullying, cyberbullying, and suicide for good!

As the summer of 2015 is nearing a close, we must now look forward to the fall season and more specifically, the return to school for millions of children around the world.

For teenagers, this can be an exciting time to once again reunite with their friends, teachers/mentors, and social group in general. Many parents, on the other hand, battle a mix of emotions that range from excitement for their child to continue pursuing an education, to the fear of the unknown.

Right at the top of this “fear of the unknown” list is that parents need to constantly be aware of the issue of cyberbullying. According to the news and the media, cyberbullying is becoming more and more evident in our school systems, and parents often feel strapped with what they can legally do to prevent this for their children.

With public schools and colleges beginning in just a few short weeks, the city of Boston is doing what they can to raise awareness not only in the nearby New England states, but for the rest of the country as well.

The Boston Globe reports “a study of more than 16,000 Boston-area high school students suggests cyberbullying is on the rise, most sharply with girls as victims and abetted by the prevalence of smartphones among teenagers.”

The most alarming statistic found from the study was that the percentage of the students who said they experienced cyberbullying jumped from 14.6 percent to 21.2 percent over a six-year period.

“The percentage of girls reporting incidents involving bullying or harassment on forums such as websites and social networks shot up 10 percent, while incidents targeting boys increased 3 percent, according to the study. At the same time, reports of in-person bullying decreased by 3 percent over the period.”

Unfortunately, the harsh reality of a teenager’s life in 2015 is that there is no escape – when the school day ends, the threat of being a victim of cyberbullying is just beginning.

Studies such as this one in Boston show us that cyberbullying is not only a problem we’ve started to become aware of in recent years, but a problem that is becoming worse with each passing year.

For more information: https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/08/02/study-boston-area-teens-suggests-cyberbullying-rise/R4fQNCY13o4mrpe41dwagI/story.html

With your help, we can make a difference. Help end the fight against bullying. Join the conversation using the hashtag #StopBullying and #BeTheChange.

When you hear the words “Be the change you wish to see in the world”, what is it that you see?

Do you see a world with no discrimination? With no broken homes? With equal opportunity?

Throughout the month, we have been partnering with Ledbetter and taking a step back to determine what it truly means to “Be the change”. Truth is, to everyone, that change means something different – we ALL want to see something different happening in the world that we live it.

So when you ask yourself, “what is my change?”, what comes to your mind?

They say a ship is safe in the harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.

As we wrap up the month of July we are challenging YOU to become the change. You are the difference maker. The world changer. The change that this world needs to see. We challenge you to live out that change and sign our pledge to live a life that changes ideas, voices, opinions – to be whatever that change is that you need to see!

Take the pledge and live for better tomorrows by downloading your own here, then take a photo and share with us all over social media with #LedbetterCampaign and #LTBTC

Hey everyone! Throughout the month we have been challenging our followers across ALL social media platforms to take a step outside of their comfort zone and truly think about what it means to “Be the change we wish to see in the world” and in case you didn’t already know, the change is different for everyone!

To help us continue the positivity that has taken over social media, we’re now challenging you to begin that change with a random act of kindness, and don’t worry, it’s a lot easier to get involved than you thought! Below we have listed TONS of easy ways that you can make a huge difference is someones day or even their lives!

Pay for someone’s Starbucks drink. If you’re anything like the girls in the office, you can’t go a day without your morning coffee! When you’re passing through the drive-thru, give the barista an extra $5 to use towards the next person’s purchase and we guarantee that you will start a city wide phenomenon!

Help carry groceries. We’ve all seen someone walking out of the grocery store with arms full of bags or even walking up to their dorm or apartment trying to make it all in one load. Lend a hand and ask them if they could use some help getting to their door!

Tip big. Anyone who’s ever worked in the restaurant business knows that there are definitely slow nights. You never know what your waiter or waitress is working hard to make happen so make somebody’s day by tipping them a little extra to show that you really do appreciate their service.

Welcome new neighbors. Moving into a new home is stressful! Make the move a little easier and bring your new neighbors a home cooked meal or a pitcher of fresh lemonade to make them feel welcome and at home.

Walk the dogs. If you see someone walking their pets in this summer heat (especially someone elderly) offer to walk a their pet for them so that they can get inside and out of the sun, or walk with them so that they aren’t alone and enjoy the company!

Pick up your trash. Wherever you are, make someones life a little easier and take 5 seconds to pick up your trash when you’re on your way out.

Support a friend unexpectedly. Moments, big or small, in anyone’s life can mean a lot to someone! Surprise a friend by showing up at their sports game, performance, or special event to show you care. P.S. you may get extra brownie points if you make them a sign and a cool drink!

Help pick up belongings that someone dropped. No matter where you are, dropping all your things is embarrassing! Take a second to stop what you’re doing and help them gather their things if you ever see this happening near you.

Share coupons. Raise your hand if you LOVE couponing! If you have extra coupons that you won’t use leave them in the grocery store aisle with the product for someone else, or hand them to the person behind you if you see that they have items that go with the coupons.

Hold the door open. Call us old fashioned but this small act goes a long way! In a crowded space, let others walk through the doorway while you hold the door for them.

Buy someone’s vending machine treat. Grab and envelope and tape money or coins to a vending machine (or leave your change) so that the next person to use the vending machine has their treat covered.

Leave a note for the mailman or UPS delivery man. It’s the little things that go unnoticed more often than they should! Say thank you to the person that delivers your mail and packages every day to show that their services are recognized and appreciated.

Leave a positive comment on someones social media. Whether you just comment to tell them that you like their outfit, or that their hair looks good, or even that it’s just a really cool picture – bring the positivity to social media! You never know how much a positive comment could mean to them!

What is there to wait for?! Get moving with your acts of kindness and share them with us using #LTBTC and #MMFRAK

For years now, we have known about the dangers of bullying for teenagers all around the world. Unfortunately, we have learned that bullying and cyberbullying are a part of the daily life for many students growing up in our school systems.

What we as a society tend to overlook is the bullying in public schools versus the bullying in private schools. For the most part, everything that we hear in the media (television, social media, etc.) is based on public school systems… but what about private schools?

To answer this question, a long five-year (2010-2014) survey was conducted. Roughly 185,000 students from both public and private schools participated in the study to help raise awareness on social trends. Here is what they found:

Anti-bullying policy was enforced more at private than public schools.

According to the survey results, bullying was taken a lot more seriously in private schools than public schools, with 45% of public school students reporting anti-bullying policies compared to 59% of private school students reporting the same. The most logical answer for this is typically private schools are smaller with more funding, whereas public schools are larger and have less freedom to implement new policies as they please.

Private school students are more “accepting” of their peers than public school students.

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, “homosexual and bisexual teens are more likely to report bullying, along with students having disabilities.” 47% of private school and only 36% of public school students who are viewed as “different” report being accepted in their environment. It’s fair to say that demographics plays a role in these trends, as public school students are much more diverse (52% white, 24% Hispanic, 16% black, 8% other) than private school students (72% white, 10% Hispanic, 9% black, 9% other).

Peer pressure is the same, no matter where you go to school.

Surprisingly, 50% of students in both public and private schools claimed peer pressure was a problem in their environment. One observation that can be made based on these results is that peer pressure in public schools has more to do with making friends and “fitting in” while peer pressure in private schools has more to do with competitive academics.

Social scene trends are more apparent in public schools.

Public schools tend to be more cliquey (52% of students say) than private school students (only 38%). This may be because private schools generally have smaller class sizes and fewer social groups compared to the larger class sizes and more social circles that fill a public school.

So what does this all mean?

The biggest takeaway you should have after reading this is that bullying is evident in every school, no matter public or private, although there are different factors to consider for each.

With your help, we can make a difference. Help end the fight against bullying. Join the conversation using the hashtag #StopBullying and #BeTheChange

Over the last 10-15 years, society has started to realize some of the serious consequences that bullying can have on a person’s life. We know that victims face greater challenges than the typical individual in the short-term (for example, graduating high school), but what about the long-term?

About a week ago, Discovery News wrote a piece on a study done by the journal Lancet. They concluded, among other things, that “children who have been bullied are more likely to have mental health struggles later in life than children who are mistreated by adults.”

The study of 5,446 children surprisingly suggested that maltreatment by adults led to no more adverse effects suffered later in life than kids who hadn’t been maltreated. On the other hand, children who were bullied were far more likely to have mental health issues later in life compared to those who had not.

Taking a closer look, the study revealed some surprising information about children who were bullied alone:

“Children who were bullied by peers only were more likely than children who were maltreated only to have mental health problems … with differences in anxiety … depression … and self-harm,” the study said.

One valid argument against such findings is that children spend more time around bullies than they do abusive parents.

The study was wrapped up with this important note:

“Being bullied by peers in childhood had generally worse long-term adverse effects on young adults’ mental health. These effects were not explained by poly-victimization. The findings have important implications for public health planning and service development for dealing with peer bullying.”

Although the truth is disturbing, it’s refreshing to see people take the initiative to educate themselves while raising awareness for others in the process. With continued studies and research on bullying, we can be confident that the world will be a better place for our youth as we move towards the future.

With your help, we can make a difference. Help end the fight against bullying. Join the conversation using the hashtag #StopBullying and #BeTheChange.

For more than 14 years (1998-2011), Hines Ward showcased his incredible talent as a wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football league. Some of his greatest accomplishments include being a 2x Super Bowl Champion, a 4x Pro Bowl selection, and having his #86 retired by the Pittsburgh Steelers organization.

While he is most recognized around the world as a standout professional athlete, the adversity Ward faced in order to achieve his dreams should not be overlooked. Born an Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) biracial left Ward a constant bullying victim in school. This is how Ward summed up his experiences as a child, the target of discrimination:

“The black kids didn’t want to hangout with me because I was Korean. The Korean kids didn’t want to hangout with me because I was black. The white kids didn’t want to hangout with me because I was both black and Korean.”

Ward goes on to say that sports was the one thing he could turn to growing up because sports are about winning and being a part of a team, regardless of race.

In 2010, Ward’s days on the playing field were coming to an end but his goals to make a difference off the field were just beginning. He was selected to serve on the President’s Advisory Commission, where he was one of 18 Commissioners to serve on the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

The story of Hines Ward shows that anybody can be a victim of bullying, but with the right mindset, overcoming even the most challenging obstacles in life is possible. Today, Ward is still a prominent figure in the fight against bullying.

You can join the conversation and learn more about Ward’s story and AAPI bullying prevention on Twitter using the hashtag #AAPIstrong.

For more information on Hines Ward, his struggle with bullying, and his movement, please visit the following links:

We would like to acknowledge our friend Kaisee Perkins for this blog post “To Feel or Not To Feel”. Thank you for sharing with us Kaisee!

To feel or not to feel? That is the question. A couple of words that I think people need to understand. The first one being empathy, a word that is used to describe the ability to understand and to share feelings. The second being sympathy, a word that is used to describe a feeling of pity and sorrow for someone’s misfortune. For those that have been bullied, was there a time which you felt like you were in search of empathy? I know there was to me.

Bully, bullied, bullying, these are such strong words. But they get over-used way too much. A second grader sitting in class throws his hand up in the air, “Teacher! He won’t let me use his crayon, he’s bullying me!” The teacher gets up walks to the table and administers discipline to the child who wouldn’t give the other kid the crayon. The boy, hollering at the teacher, got his way. Was that boy, the one who didn’t give the other the crayon a bully? Once again, over used. These three words bring a problem to my eyes.

Walking through the halls of high school, a senior waits before the bell in a different classroom than the one she is supposed to be at. The bell rings, then rings again. She walks out of that class room, late to class, into the classroom she should be in.

(You are probably puzzled.)

This senior was told to not be in the hallways with a certain person. This SENIOR had to avoid even eye contact with a particular person. Why you may ask? Well, after this senior was accused of several different things, she was investigated. All investigations led to no findings. Nothing happened to the accuser except for the ongoing use of what I would consider power.

Not everyone understands those three words. It hurts.

People who have been in those situations where they were the victim, cry for help. They reach out for understanding too. They want to be heard! They go to speak and they are told they are crazy, to shut up, to just….drop it. They are crying for someone’s EMPATHY not someone’s sympathy.

We are told to get over it, its life, it happens to everyone. We are pushed and pushed to get over something that is so hard to overcome. We need help. If we aren’t alone, then why is empathy so hard to come by? Empathy IS our help.

I close in saying, YOU are not alone in anyway. Whether it is YOUR FAITH, YOUR FAMILY, or even just EMPATHY (a cry for help), YOU are not alone. So, there’s just one thing I would like you to think about? Should we feel or Should we not feel?

So many of us see this time of year as a rebirth, a chance to truly start over and accomplish all that we have dreamed. Here at the Megan Meier Foundation there are many things that we are professionally and personally resolving to achieve in the new year and hope that, along side with you, we can grow as individuals and together end bullying, cyberbullying and suicide while creating a healthier and more accepting world.

1. Stop posting anything negative on social media. Whether it is about yourself or someone else, anything we put online is there to stay and posting something negative while we’re in the heat of the moment might seem tempting at the time but if it’s really that bad, is it something we want to remember when it pops back up in a few years? We didn’t think so.

2. Stop resenting yourself. We’re serious about this one. Unless you’re Beyonce, every single on of us has their flaws. No matter your age, gender, size, color, we are all individually unique and that’s something we should embrace as time passes. Not resent.

3. Cross something off your bucket list. Even if that means doing something that you’ve dreamed of since you were five. DO IT. There is no better feeling than accomplishing something that you have waited your whole life to do! Just remember to enjoy ever second of it.

4. Smile at strangers. You’ve heard it said time and time again; you may never know what demons someone is battling on the inside. Even something as simple as saying “hello” to someone as they pass you could brighten their entire day.

5. Keep a journal. There is no better way to remember your experiences and memories than to write them down. No matter how silly, complex, heartbreaking, or exciting they may be; WRITE IT DOWN. Being about to look back at the end of the year and reflect on ever high (and low) is a great way to visually see how much you have accomplished and overcame.

6. Strengthen your relationships. With your moms, dads, brothers and sisters, friends, ex’s, WHOEVER it is. There is no point in wasting the energy resenting someone for something you probably don’t even remember. Forgive and forget and lets try to move forward. At the end of the day, these are the people who are going to be there for you, lets try to make a better effort to respect them too.

7. Face your fears. Spiders, heights, answering phone calls from your mom… we all have something that keeps us from living our lives to the fullest. Let 2015 be your time to break free from their chains and live your life without fear.

8. Turn off your phones. Seriously just turn it off. Unplug for a day. The day I realized I forgot my phone while I was heading to work and knew I wouldn’t be heading back until much later was probably the most attentive day of my life. Look up from the screens and pay attention to what is happening around you. You’ll be impressed at what you will see.

9. Pay it Forward. You know that extra change you got from the vending machine? Leave it there. The car behind you in the drive through line? Spare a few dollars to pay for theirs. What goes around comes back around and it’s better to be generous while we can.

10. Write yourself a letter. There is nothing I loved more than when my freshman year English teacher made us write letters to ourselves to read when we were seniors. Looking back on things that I thought were a big deal and then realizing it wasn’t, people who came into my life and now no longer had a place; it might be a little bitter sweet but it is the coolest experience to look back on our biggest (or smallest) moments.

11. Break bad habits. You’d be amazed at how much we could change about ourselves if we just changed one simple thing. Whether its eating too much fast food, staying up too late, or tweeting too often, there is always something that we can improve on. And let me be the first to tell you: small steps are progress too.

12. Speak louder. Let your voice be heard. So you care about something? Work for it. You like someone? Tell them. Shout it from the mountain tops and make sure that everyone knows. Life is too short and unpredictable to let your opinion go unheard. Don’t let society tell you differently.

13. Get awesome at something. You know all those things that you pin on Pinterest? All the things that you told yourself one day you would try? You should get to it. Let it be cooking, hiking, or heck even knitting… try it! You’ll never know if it’s your secret talent until you try! P.S. If you’re good at cooking… feel free to let us all know

14. Stop being afraid. Don’t let the magazines tell you what you should wear. Or your classmates tell you what you should be doing. Or even of yourself. Have the confidence to go in the direction of your dreams. Wear the things that make you feel good and do the things you’ve always had your heart set on. Just because someone isn’t okay with it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be.

15. Get comfortable with being by yourself. Let your freak flag fly (and don’t let someone else take it down). There’s no fun in pretending to be someone or something you’re not so don’t waste the time. Be who you want to be, when you want to be it.

16. Wake up earlier. We all have the same hours in a day a Beyonce, we might as well try to keep up. Even if the bed is begging us to stay.

17. Be okay with things going wrong. If you guys are anything like me, everything has a time, a place and a way it should be done. And if it’s not… well you don’t want to know. When things don’t go the way they’re planned, take a second to breathe, you never know what could come of it.

18. Try something new. If things aren’t working, it’s probably time for a serious change. Don’t be afraid to do things a little differently. Get creative and get inspired.

19. Focus on YOU. Everyone needs a little “me” time. Unplug and really focus on what you want and how you’re going to achieve it. It’s more than okay to be a little selfish sometimes.

20. Forgive more. It doesn’t matter if it’s another person, a situation, or even yourself. There is so much energy tied up in holding on to grudges and resentment when (let’s face it) it’s gonna be easier to just let it go (Que Elsa). Let go of your anchors. You’d be surprised on how much energy you’ll have to focus on other things…. Like crafts.

21. Cherish every second. 2014 was just the warm up babycakes. This year is the real deal, don’t waste a single minute of it. Push yourself to (healthy) limits and enjoy it.

Times may get hard, but that doesn’t mean we have to keep it that way.

Wishing you all the best,

The Ladies of the Megan Meier Foundation

We’d love to hear back from you! Feel free to comment with your own resolutions for the New Year!

“You came to my school and very possibly could have saved my life. I was going through some tough times with bullying and such but since your visit, I feel like I’m ok again. I’m doing better in school, getting ready to graduate, and have a wonderful relationship with my family and friends. Thank you, you do such lifesaving and heart touching work. I just wish someone like you had been there for your daughter like you were for me.”

– Allie S

#ThinkActChange #LiveCampaign

It has been said that only the ideas that we actually LIVE are of any value. Today we challenge you to think of who you have the opportunity to inspire with your life and choose to LIVE in front of them, refuse to watch from the sidelines. Become a major player by partnering with Megan Meier Foundation as we inspire our children to LIVE.

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National Suicide Prevention Line

If you or someone you know is in suicidal crisis or emotional distress please call:
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
The call is free and available 24-hours. Your call will be routed to the nearest crisis center to you.